K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI shutting down randomly

[edgemaster191]

my system shuts down on it's own free will...sometimes i get a few hours of run time, other times i get a few seconds..i haven't updated the bios for fear of it shutting down half way through the update..it will shut down at post, or while running windows...problem seems worse during game play but the CPU temp stays around 49 degrees C.....so far i've put Dynex Silver cooling compound on the CPU using factory heatsink/fan. This system is running at factory speeds..i have not tried OC'ing or changing any CPU or other system chip settings...i've tried different sticks of memory thinking that could be the issue..i've diconnected different components (hard drives, cd players add in cards etc) my only thought is the CPU itself is bad...i'm hoping it's not the cpu or MOBO...if anyone could help me out it would be great.

System specs:
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice core
Buffalo DDR 400 (pc3200) 512mb
SMT DDR266 (pc2700) 512mb (tried system w/o this stick as well)
ATI Radeon x1300pro 256

 

[aNoR]

Hey, got the same issue and fairly the same setup:

K8N NEO4 Platinum
Athlon64 3200+
2x500 pc3200 DDR400 ADATA
GeForce 6600GT
10000rpm seagate 40gb
7200rpm seagate 160gb

At first I would have suggested u change to 2 similar mem-modules, but u say u tried without one of them so that probably isn't the problem. Try moving it around (using just one of them).

Now, as you post, it shuts down randomly, driving me nutz!
It even shuts down when i'm in the bios-setup!!!

I tried the following:

Ran checkdisk on all partitions.
Virus scanned the discs.
Used adaware and spybot to scan for trojans.
Upgraded and downgraded all gfx drivers.
Upgraded winXP and every other driver i can think of.
Unplugged the memory modules one at a time.
Unplugged the second hd.
Unplugged both DVD/CD-RW drives.
Unplugged external fans.
I've checked the heat (cpu 39 celsius, system temp the same) and all fan speeds.
Measured power outlets as well as internal 12V connectors.
Run with open/closed case, connected more/less fans.
FINALLY, I LOST IT AND FLASHED THE BIOS, crossing fingers and toes it wouldn't shutdown during the process, and... it didn't.
Result? Nothing. It still shuts down.

It tends to shut down more easily when playing games, and once it has, it will go on until (and this is my best shot) the power supply cools off.

So what I'm gonna do is swap my lousy no-name 400w power supply for an R-type 580w - I'm almost sure this is the problem, the power supply gets hot, and unstable, and cant deliver enough to keep the computer running.

Also, a tip: right click on my computer, props, advanced, turn off "shutdown on error" or whatever it says. If u have a software problem, windows will tell you about it before shutting down. This didnt help me, it keeps "dying" without warning, so i figured this has to be hardware related.

It gets down to this:
If it isn't the power supply, it has to be the gfxcard. Sometimes the gfxcard can generate some weird errors.

I hope u get some ideas at least, and if you ever fix your problem, please repost and maybe i'll solve mine too. I'll be sure to do the same if I have a miracle :lol:

/ DESPERATE - AND BROKE, OR I WOULD THROW THE DAMN THING OUT THE WINDOW

my system shuts down on it's own free will...sometimes i get a few hours of run time, other times i get a few seconds..i haven't updated the bios for fear of it shutting down half way through the update..it will shut down at post, or while running windows...problem seems worse during game play but the CPU temp stays around 49 degrees C.....so far i've put Dynex Silver cooling compound on the CPU using factory heatsink/fan. This system is running at factory speeds..i have not tried OC'ing or changing any CPU or other system chip settings...i've tried different sticks of memory thinking that could be the issue..i've diconnected different components (hard drives, cd players add in cards etc) my only thought is the CPU itself is bad...i'm hoping it's not the cpu or MOBO...if anyone could help me out it would be great.

System specs:
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum/SLI
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice core
Buffalo DDR 400 (pc3200) 512mb
SMT DDR266 (pc2700) 512mb (tried system w/o this stick as well)
ATI Radeon x1300pro 256

 

[edgemaster191]

hey ok so here's the update on my post.

i borrowed a processor from a friend of mine (AMD Athlon64 X2 3800+ ) and it runs without a hitch. understand that i'm no amature at this (ie the cpu's are both socket 939 etc...i'd buy a X2 if i could afford it) i push the machine to it's limit and nothing, runs like it should run. even the cpu temps are better at about 41 degrees C under full load (playing doom3 and updating Final Fantasy XI at the same time) so now i'm workign on RMAing my cpu. it seems that that is the issue and i'm hoping it fixes the problem. thank you aNoR for the reply and (as much as it may suck) you should see if you can try a different CPU..it is possible to get a cpu with an error nobody is perfect....i'll post an update as soon i get my new cpu and let everyone know if it's better (like i said with my friends cpu it's great so we'll see...)

 

[aNoR]

understand that i'm no amature at this

Heh, ok sorrz, never easy to know if the guy on the other side is someones grandpa or not

Thanks, and i'll look forward to your progress on this... and i really hope I don't have to get myself another cpu, just bought a new psu (hiper type-r 580w) to see if that'll do the trick... however, i'll post back as well if anything changes, and if i don't, well then u know my complete setup is on the pave 3 floors down ehehehe

 

[WINDSHEAR]

before you send it to the pavement, send it to me

 

[edgemaster191]

well i finally got amd to let me submit a RMA request so now i'm just waiting for an approval from them and an address to send it to . amd has been gret as far as tech help and setting up the RMA (my cpu was never registered so it took some doing to prove that i bought the damn thing in the first place) so we'll see..hopefully i'll have a new cpu in a week. as far as throwing it out the window don't bother..lol just try the PSU..if thats no good then try a different cpu..if you bought a retail chip it should have the 3 year warranty on it as well so if you can swap it for a new one...good luck and keep us posted on how you turn out..i'm hoping that this is the only/last thing wrong wiht my machine...i wanna play doom 3 damnit...

 

[aNoR]

Oh sweet, good luck with that, I hope your efforts pay off...

Hehe, I just might put it on E-Bay for a quarter or less before letting it do the parachute dive (w/o the chute) so look for it there ...

I just went back to the website where I bought the psu and threw in another gig of dual channel 3200 dimms, tomorrow is pay-day so let's spend it, right? My girlfriend's gonna kill me It was a bargain in swedish standards (special offer 90 bucks) so I didn't hesitate. And it's another reason not to throw the case out the window too

I'm supposed to get the PSU in 1-2 labour days so hopefully I'm back playing BattleField 2 after the weekend.

MSI K8N Neo-4 Platinum SLI (Spontaneous Blackouts Edition?)
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (939)
Geforce 6600GT 128mb PCI-E
(soon) 2gb DDR 400 (pc 3200) dual channel
(soon) Hiper R-Type Modular 580w
1x maxtor 40gb 10000 rpm SATA
1x seagate 160gb 7200 rpm SATA
ASUS DVD
ASUS DVD-RW
Razer Mouse

Laterz

 

[edgemaster191]

haha "spontainous blackout edition" i like that..but like i said my system is great wiht this other chip in it....oh and now amd is telling me they won't do my rma "insufficiant information" blah blah blah..so i sent em like 4 pages of details on what i've done..we'll see how that goes...idiots...well anyways i'll be around so leave updates and what not..lemme know how things work out...

ooh one more thing

AIM: edgemaster191

 

[edgemaster191]

hey if anyone is interested...finally after weeks of playinig with different things and what not i got AMD to RMA my cpu again..this time giving me a brand new one and everything seems to be working fine. i dunno if maybe there is a flaw with the cpu in general but when they sent me my new cpu i got a 3500+ venice instead of the 3200+. big thumbs up to AMD i'm not gonna complain about a faster CPU..but anyways..so far so good, it idles around 38 degrees C and under a load it runs around 50 degrees C like AMD said it would.....(remember my old one shut down at around 44 or 45 degrees C) so problems seems to be solved...and i have to say the single core athlon 64 games MUCH better then a dual core..keep that in mind if your going to game with your computer....so anyways get back at me if anyone has any thoughts...

Later